Track extension



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- TRACK EXTENSION m m F A M T Filed May 11, 1926 22 1927. March T. s. RAY

TRACK EXTENSION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1926 Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

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THOMAS SEIBERT BAY, OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

TRACK EXTENSION.

Application filed May 11,

This invention relates to means for extending permanent track-rails as mining, excavating, and similar work progresses, and for affording atthe same time a temporary movable track section for cars, mining and encavating machines, etc.

It is an object of the invention so to form and arrange parts of a movable track section that, as ends of permanent track-rails are reached. additional permanent rails may be connected at their ends thereto and laid on the temporary section and maintained thereon in such manner that cars and other rolling stock easily may move from and to rails of the movable section and the permanent rails until the movable section is advanced to a point where additional permanent rails can be laid.

hen considered with the description herein, the characteristics of the invention are apparent from the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein an adap tation of the invention to mining operations is disclosed, for purposes of illustration.

Although the disclosures herein exemplify what now is considered to be a preferable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is notthe intention to be limited necessarily thereto in interpretation of the claims, as modifications and adaptations within the limits of the claims can be made without departing from the na ture of the invention.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views of the drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a plan view;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan of one ofthe latch-points Fig. 4: is a section on the line 41. l, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a latch-point;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation illustrative of one form of stop:

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of a moving and stop member;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereof.

In the drawings A designates: rails and B ties of permanent trackage, which are laid as mining, quarrying, excavating, or similar work advances, for movement thereover to and from the work of cars, machines, and apparatus employed in the operations.

In coal-mining operations, for example, cuts usually are from six to nine feet into a 1926. Serial No. 108,354.

vein; and, with methods ordinarily employed, temporary rails are laid in short pieces beyond the permanent trackage to bring the track up to the face of the vein for accommodation of a mining-machine and cars. The temporary rails must be taken up and permanent rails laid when long-rail length is reached. because the track cannot be kept in proper condition with short lengths. This results in loss of time and incurs ex- .pense of labor. 7

In order to avoid these difiiculties, the invention provides a pair of rails 9 on each side. which are held associated in compara tively close spaced relation by plates or clamps 10 to which they are welded or otherwise secured. The plates have inturned ter minal lugs 11, which overlap base-flanges of the rails. The pairs of rails may be connected and held spaced in the required gauge for wheels of rolling stock to run on them by straps 12 secured to the plates 10. The rails 9 ofeach pair are spaced so that a permanent rail may be disposed 'therebetween and rest on the base-flanges thereof and be braced against other than comparatively slight lateral tilting by the heads thereof.

The movable track section is advanced in any suitable manner up to the new face of the material into which cuttings are made, and more or less loose end portions of permanent rails connected to permanent rails fart-her back lie between the pairs of rails of the movable section. During advancement of the temporary section, when it 1s moved nearly, or entirely, from under a permanentrail, the latch-points hereinafter referred to are removed, another permanent rail is dropped between the rails of the section and connected at its end to the last-previously-placed permanent rail. and the latchpoints are connected thereto. Ties are placed under the permanent rails as the movable section is moved forwardly, and the lastlaid permanent rails assume positions thereon as the section is advanced from under the permanent rails. This placement of permanent rails and ties and advancement of the section may be continued in definitely as work progresses. Consequently, it is unnecessary to lay and remove temporary rails during progress of the operations.

In order that rolling-stock may pass from and to the permanent rails where their ends lie on the extension, latch-points 13 are connected temporarily to those ends in any suitable manner, as by bolted fish-plates 14. The latch-points lie between the extension rails, they taper ofi in their heads, and their pointed ends are held against those rails by wedge-blocks 15.

The extension-rails may have upturned terminals 16'at one end of the movable section, which act as stops to prevent a mining-machine from running off, as shown by Fig. 6. Preferably however, each pair of extensionrails has a strong metallic strap 16 disposed thereover and swingably secured at or near their advance ends by rivets 17 or other suitable fasteners. These straps, when turned down against the rails, serve as stops for rolling-stock; and they conveniently are available for insertion of a bar therethrough in advancing the extension.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A movable rail-extension comprising on each side of the track a pair of rails held comparatively close together and arranged to have permanent rails lie therebetween.

2. A movable rail-extension comprising on each side of the track a pair of rails held together in such spacing as to permit permanent rails to lie therebetween and be laterally braced thereby.

3. A movable rail-extension comprising on each side of the track a pair of rails held together in such spacing as to permit permanent rails to lie therebetween on the baseflanges thereof.

4:- A movable rail-extension device comprising on each side of the track a pair of rails held comparatively close together and adapted to have permanent rails lie therebetween, said device being arranged to permit ends of permanent rails thereon to be connected at their ends to previously-laid permanent rails and to be advanced from under the last-laid permanent rails.

5. A movable rail-extension comprising on each side of the track a pair of rails held comparatively close together and arranged to have permanent rails lie therebetween, and straps connecting the pairs of rails.

6. A movable rail-extension comprising plates on each side of the track, and nairs of rails on each side of the track secured to said plates in such spacing as to permit permanent rails to lie closely therebetween.

7. A movable rail-extension comprising plates on each side of the track, pairs of rails on each side of the track secured to said plates in such spacing as to permit permanentrails to lie closely therebetwecn, and straps connecting said plates on one side to those on the other.

8. A movable rail-extension con'iprising on each side of the track a pair of rails held comparatively close together and arranged to have permanent rails lie therebetween. and a strap extending over one pair of said extension-rails and connected thereto near ends thereof.

9. A movable rail-extension comprising on each side of the track a pair of rails held comparatively close together and arranged to have permanent rails lie therebetween, and a strap extending over one pair of said extension-rails and swingably connected there to near ends thereof.

10. In combination with a pair of extension-rails, a stop and prying member comprising a metallic strap extending over said rails and swingably connected to sides thereof.

11. In railway-traclcage, the combination, with permanent rails connected at one end to ends of other permanent rails, of a movable rail sect-ion comprising on each side of the track a pair of rails held comparatively close together and having portions of lastlaid permanent rails lying therebetween.

12. In railway-tracliage, the combination with permanent rails connected at one end to ends of permanent rails, of a movable rail sect-ion comprising on each side of the track a pair of rails held con'iparatively close together and having portions of last-laid permanent rails lying therebetween. and latchpoints connected to free ends of said lastlaid rails and wedged between pairs of said rail-section rails.

In testimony whereof I a'liix my signa- 

